MPUMALANGA – Provincial Commissioner of the SAPS in Mpumalanga, Lieutenant General Semakaleng Daphney Manamela, has welcomed the four life sentences imposed on a serial attacker and killer who terrorized women in Kwaggafontein between 2020 and 2022.
The Mpumalanga Division of the High Court, sitting in Middelburg on Friday, June 7, 2024, handed down the severe sentence to 32-year-old Thabang Joseph Selepe. The court heard how the accused raped helpless women and then planned to kill them. On March 30, 2020, at approximately 00:50, police responded to a scene near a primary school, where the half-naked body of 20-year-old Paulinah Sangweni, identified later by her family, was found. The Kwaggafontein Police Station opened a murder case with an additional charge of rape.
A similar incident occurred on December 12, 2021, at approximately 07:45 a.m. The body of a 29-year-old woman, showing visible bruises on her neck and back, was found near the same school. Another murder case with an additional charge of rape was opened.
On May 22, 2022, at 7:45 a.m., police discovered the half-naked body of 20-year-old Charlot Mabena near the very same school. During their investigation, police identified the pattern of a serial rapist and murderer. They intensified their efforts and resources to capture the suspect before he could strike again. Investigators found that Selepe used social media to lure female victims by posting pictures and pretending to live a lavish lifestyle, which attracted many women. He would then assault and kill them.
The persistent efforts of the police paid off when, in the early hours of August 17, 2022, Selepe was located, taken into custody at his residence, and charged. After a trial, he was found guilty and received the following sentences: life sentences for murder and rape on multiple counts. He was also declared unfit to possess a firearm. The court ordered that the sentences on counts 2, 3, and 4 run concurrently with count 1 (life imprisonment).
Lieutenant General Semakaleng Daphney Manamela praised the investigation team, prosecution team, and judiciary for securing justice for the victims of gender-based violence.
